Leadership
Board of Directors
Composed of respected practitioners, educators, researchers, and policy planners, our leadership team is dedicated to Global Alliance’s mission.
President
Jill D. McLeigh, PhD
Director, Policy, Advocacy, & Research | Children’s Health (Dallas, TX)
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Rebecca Singer, DNP, RN
Clinical Assistant Professor | College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago
Past President
Cynthia Taylor Handrup, DNP, APRN, PMHCNS-BC
Clinical Assistant Professor | College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago
Secretary
Edilma L. Yearwood, PhD
Associate Professor, Nursing & Health Studies | Georgetown University Medical Center
Treasurer
William R. Beardslee, MD
Distinguished Gardner-Monks Professor, Child Psychiatry | Harvard Medical School
Chairman Emeritus and Director, Baer Prevention Initiatives | Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital
Director at Large
Swarnima Chaudhary, MPH
Behavioral Assessment Consultant | University of Iowa
Director at Large
Max Crowley, PhD
Associate Professor, HDFS & Public Policy | Penn State University
Director, Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative | Social Science Research Institute, Penn State University
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Monica Landers, MA, MSW
Senior Social and Behavioral Researcher, Child and Family Studies | University of South Florida
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Arelis Moore de Peralta, MD, MEd, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Languages and Department of Youth, Family, and Community Studies | Clemson University
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Maury Nation, PhD
Associate Professor, Human and Organizational Development | Peabody College,
Vanderbilt University
Student Representatives
Student Representatives to the Board of Directors must be graduate students, resident physicians, or post-doctoral fellows in a recognized training program in a discipline related to behavioral health. They must be a member of the Global Alliance at the beginning of the term. This one-year term is a great leadership opportunity for student members!
Student Representative
Nadha Hassen, HBSc, MPH
PhD Student, Environmental and Urban Change | York University
Student Representative
Cori L. Cafaro, MSc, MA
PhD Student, Clinical-Community Psychology | DePaul University
Get Involved
Our Board of Directors invites you to engage with us in promoting the creation and adoption of policies to address issues related to behavioral health and social justice through research, practice, and advocacy.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Co-Editor
Kendell L. Coker, PhD, JD (ex officio)
Associate Professor of Psychology, University of New Haven
Co-Editor
William Spaulding, PhD (ex officio)
Professor, Psychology | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Central Office
Executive Officer
Robin Kimbrough-Melton, JD (ex officio)
Research Professor | Colorado School of Public Health
Communications and Policy Assistant
Melissa Lewis
Charlotte, NC
COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY ASSISTANT
Kirby Magid, MA
PhD Student, Health Psychology | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY ASSISTANT
Rachel Uri, MA
PhD Student, Health Psychology | University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Committees
The Global Alliance Board of Directors appoints committees to assist in carrying out the business of the association. Members of the Global Alliance are welcome to join these committees. Contact the Central Office for more information.
- Awards – Chaired by Cynthia Handrup
- Conference (2022) – Chaired by Cynthia Handrup; co-chaired by Silicia Lomax and Arelis Moore
- Development – Chaired by Arelis Moore
- Finance – Chaired by William Beardslee
- Membership – Co-chaired by Monica Landers and Arelis Moore
- Nominations – Chaired by Cynthia Handrup
- Policy – Chaired by Rebecca Singer